Philippine historian Xiao Chua says Aquino Cojuangco video is propaganda

I am reposting Michael Charleston (Xiao Chua) Briones Chua facebook note , “Xiao Chua’s Initial Comments on AQUINO COJUANGCO: FACTS THEY DONT WANT YOU TO KNOW” with his permission. Xiao Chua is the Vice President of the Philippine Historical Association, Faculty of History of the De La Salle University Manila. He provides context to PinoyMonkeyPride video AQUINO COJUANGCO: FACTS THEY DONT WANT YOU TO KNOW.

Here is his complete post.

Reaction on this video: AQUINO COJUANGCO: FACTS THEY DONT WANT YOU TO KNOW

Everything you know about the YELLOW FAMILY you get only in mass media IF YOU DON’T READ.

I am asked by many people on this so I have to answer. Since the video is in English, I will reply in English. Sorry, I just got to see the video today.

I welcome the video since it will spark a debate on historical issues. I mean, f*** when was the last time you thought of the past?

From the same PR company that produced the pro-Marcos propaganda NINOY + PEOPLE POWER: Hidden Truths The MEDIA is NOT Telling Us!. Same style of visuals and storytelling, and the mixing of gossip and half truths. This is not a work of a concerned individual but by a talented PR group. Someone have an interest and will benefit in maligning the Cojuangco-Aquinos. Think.

There is nothing here that is new for those who read Philippine History books.

First soundbyte on her promise not to run said she didn’t want to run, but she ran. Editor of video took out the fact that later she was convinced to run by over a million signatures of collected by Chino Roces.

On the Ysidra Cojuangco and Antonio Luna connection, I now believe that our educated elite is a nation of non-readers! So many secondary sources already pointed to this: Ricardo Manapat, Lucy Komisar and others. Even I wrote about this in my paper on Tarlac as the seat of the Revolutionary Congress. Did anyone read this??? Of course this is big deal but the problem is it is based on family lore circulating with the elites of Tarlac but nobody can be one hundred percent sure. Historians, if telling this story, must warn that it is a rumor. I want to believe it. But I cannot prove it.

On the History of Hacienda Luisita, I already wrote about this, the Left has already made their videos, but now I don’t understand why they make it seem a new issue. President Noy’s Department of Agrarian Reform and the Presidential Agrarian Reform Council already made their stand FOR DISTRIBUTION. I support this. My opinion on this don’t matter much. The ball is now on the Supreme Court.

To have a successful revolution or change of power, the People Power Revolution of two million people in EDSA and many others in different provinces doesn’t have to be the majority of the people. I mean for crying out loud, all they have to do is win. AND MARCOS IS NO GADDAFI, he left for the safety of the United States. EDSA doesn’t have to be the majority, all they have to do is win, and they did by Marcos leaving peacefully with the help of America convinced of People’s Power. Now, to say that the majority of the people were for Marcos, mali rin. Where were they? By not defending their president in a counter-people power as “the majority” they waive their right to be heard. Look at Erap, we know he have the real support of the masses because in EDSA tres they came. Nothing for Marcos came.

On the Mendiola Massacre of 1987, command responsibility goes to President Cory Aquino, one of the unfortunate incidents in her administration, but again blaming Cory on everything that happened under her watch will simplify things and is an effect of the centralization of the powers of government which Marcos actually started during Martial Law, yun bang pag nagkasunog, PRESIDENTE TULONG! Gen. Alfredo Lim (now hizzoner of Manila) who had the ground responsibility, maintains that the first to fire were the protesters, Cory also said this in her last Jessica Soho interview for Newsmakers special. There is a possibility that someone other than farmers were there to create chaos. Hello, the main doctrine of that party is anarchy.

On the Hacienda Luisita Massacre of 2004, the control of the situation and the troops is technically with the Secretary of Labor Patricia Sto. Tomas. The protesters and the troops maintain that the other side was the first to fire, producing different videos of the incident showing this. Some Hacienda Luisita employees maintain that there is actually a video that shows a more balanced angle on the shooting, it was the agitators among the protesters who fired first. But this videos seen by hacienda employees should surface before one can make a sound judgement.

It’s easy to make speculations on the cases of the killings in Tarlac, I don’t have the documents, I rather have the courts decide on it but I myself have a reservation on our criminal justice system. As a historian, my opinion on this matter must be based on facts.

Linking SCTEX as the Noynoy Superhighway is a distortion of history. It was PGMA’s projects based on plans by the previous administrations including Marcos. The Cojuangcos already stopped their private toll fee after only a few days, so wala gaano pumasok na pera dyan. They make it seem it is still operational. Pinigilan na yan. Dumadaan kami doon every week. Wala na!

The last part on backmasking Noy’s jingle, is good for conspiracy theorists but doesn’t make any sense as history, and the infinity thing? That is also Imelda Marcos’s favorite symbol, appearing many times in her circle of life philosophy.

I have my own problems with dealing with Philippine media as they always get my opinion on history, good to write about it in another post. But just the same, the media can be used as a podium to tell the truth, but just sometimes they edit you.

If you read all my Ninoy and Cory articles, I always stressed that they are not saints. They will say the same thing themselves. I have shown their flaws but also their positive effects on Filipinos. These are the historical facts that can be verified by historical sources: Cory Aquino restored free press and the democratic institutions, development in her administration was hampered by coups and calamities. Ano pa ba hinihingi natin, ayaw niya nga maging presidente, tayo naman ang pumilit sa kanya na maging pangulo, isang pribadong babaeng hasyendera na sinubukan at nangahas na maglingkod. Ano pa ba hinihingi natin ipinagpalit na niya ang pribasiya niya para sa mas mataas na tungkulin?

Ninoy Aquino sacrificed his life willingly for the bayan, whether he had political ambition or not to become president still doesn’t matter to me. Ano pa ba hinihingi natin binigay na niya ang buhay niya?

The video is propaganda, as is the other propaganda (depicting that Ninoy and Cory are total saints, if you want to call it “yellow”) and now I understand why we must be more careful in writing kasaysayan. PROPAGANDA CAN BE BASED ON RUMORS MASQUERADING AS HISTORY. We still don’t have the documents that will verify the kwentong bayan. My conclusions might change as soon as I have them.

I go for a more balanced view of contemporary history (kapanahong kasaysayan), like what American historians are doing to the Kennedys, demystifying them but also emphasizing their positive contribution to that society.

And one more thing, at least, in this write-up I am staking my reputation and sign my name on this, XIAO CHUA. How can one be credible if he don’t tell us his name?

xxx

On the first video: NINOY + PEOPLE POWER: Hidden Truths The MEDIA is NOT Telling Us! (Since lagi ring tinatanong):

It’s another perspective, not necessarily hidden (everything said can be found somewhere if you are diligent enough to search them in books). Yeah Marcos and Ninoy were friends, it can also be true that Marcos liked Ninoy to become his successor, and it is true that Marcos and Imelda built infrastructure and many many good things for the country (that was 20 years! thesis ko yan) but that doesn’t erase the fact that he ruled as a dictator with many human rights violations. And that crony capitalism and excessive borrowing destroyed what he himself had gained in the last years of his rule and made our economy fall on its knees. It can also be said that paranoia and his health has something to do with this. He is a dictator but was also a visionary, but the two million people will not come to EDSA only by mere propaganda and urgings of a few oligarchs and churchmen. It is because they themselves felt that there was something wrong. It is true that Marcos didn’t want to kill the crowds, but he wanted to crush the rebels and only the crowds were stopping his men. He had orders to mortar Camp Crame through Balbas despite the many people in between. And if only they followed many people could have died just the same. It simplified the other perspective but what is presented in the media is not false either. I’m not also into demonizing Marcos. It wasn’t all that bad during his time. Probably this video is good in balancing things and putting historical issues to the open and talking about them again, but this is not the whole truth either.

And yeah indeed Cory was in Cebu but only stayed there for a day, she went back to Manila after and even went to POEA even if she doesn’t need to be there anyway on the 24th of February. People were already shouting her name and REALLY SHE DOESN’T NEED TO BE THERE BUT SHE WENT ANYWAY. Enrile can also attest that she was already in Manila that time. They met at Wackwack just near EDSA that night.

And even if you say that life was no good after EDSA, I would not trade this life for a life without civil liberties and a determination to chart my own destiny, EVEN IF I AM STILL POOR. Ninoy and Cory were not saints, but they did their best. Whatever decisions Cory made reflected her socialization. But nation building is not just a work of one person, what could we have done to help in making our country great should be a more suitable question than blaming everything to the elite and the oligarchy. The elite should be taught not to forget the bayan, because thay have the means to make things better. I’m for that rather than antagonize them which is more counter productive.

Ang ayoko lang parang pinapakita niyang bago ang mga sinasabi niyang ito, e alam na nang marami ito. Hindi bago ito. Masyado idinidikdik na nasa Cebu si Cory. Tsaka kung moro- moro lang ginawa nina Marcos at Ninoy noong Martial Law, hindi sana naghunger strike si Ninoy at muntik nang mamatay. Ang kasaysayan ay hindi ganoon kasimple tama, pero ito ay isang propaganda na may ilang kasinungalingan na nakalagay. Tsaka sana magpakilala siya kung sino siya para makita natin kung may credibility ba itong “conservative” na ito. Hindi rin ako maka-komunista pero masyado namang rightist ito. Yun ba ang meaning ng “conservative?”